BANGKOK // David Lipsky was crowned the 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion on Sunday despite a plucky showing by his closest rival, Anirban Lahiri, at the Thailand Golf Championship.
The Korean-American was forced into an anxious clubhouse wait after a ponderous three-over 75 in the final round left him tied 38th for the tournament, with Lahiri still playing for a top spot in the US$1 million (Dh3.67m) event.
The Indian needed a top-four finish in Thailand to take the Order of Merit race to this week’s Dubai Open, which begins Thursday at the Els Club.
He fell short, though, tying for sixth with a one-over 73.
It gave Lipsky, 26, an unassailable $713,901 purse for the year with Lahiri second on $602,833, followed by Thailand’s Prom Meesawat with $527,921.
“This win means a lot to me and I’m feeling a lot of pride. This is something which I aspired to do. Now I know that if I play well, I can compete against the best,” said Lipsky, , who played 13 tournaments on the tour this year.
“It has been an up-and-down year for me, and this week is a perfect example. I thought I was playing well but ended up in 38th place.
“Overall, the year has been good, and reflecting back on it I couldn’t have been more proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
After congratulating his rival, Lahiri vowed to come back stronger.
“I’ll be back, and winning the Order of Merit is definitely one of those things I want to do in my career,” he said.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
